2ND WEEK OF EASTER

You must be born from above.

Life is a gift. Yes, your physical existence is a blessing from your heavenly Father. But wait—as the oft-mimicked commercial exclaims—there’s more! With God there is always more. Jesus talks about this “more” with Nicodemus in today’s Gospel. Even better than the gift of our physical birth is the gift of our spiritual rebirth. Jesus is emphatic: “You must be born from above” (John 3:7, emphasis added). This new birth changes you and fills you with the hope of life eternal.

The kind of life and faith that Jesus meant for Nicodemus, and for us, to experience is a work of God. If you’ve been baptized, that work has already begun in you. The life of God was breathed into you at that moment, and you were “born from above.” It takes time, however—the rest of your life—to develop. Just as the physical life of a newborn baby needs to be cared for and nurtured in order to flourish, the life that comes to us from above also needs care and nurturing.

God is the One who fosters and sustains this gift of life “from above” through his power and presence and love. But you can cooperate with his grace, and one key way to do that is by praying. Prayer brings you close to God; it gives him the opportunity to work more deeply in your life. In prayer, you learn to hear his voice. You experience his power to comfort or heal you. His love and mercy can change your heart or revive your hope. In prayer, you can come to know him better. You can lift your thoughts and attention above the demands of daily life and focus on the reality of the heavenly life that God’s grace is growing in you.

What does this life “from above” look like (John 3:7)? As your heart stirs in prayer or at Mass, you understand that God is present with you (Matthew 28:20). When you feel freed from the weight of guilt or shame in Confession, you see his deep love for you and his desire that you share his life more completely. As you come to understand more deeply the redemption Jesus won for you day by day, your heart fills with joy. You are tasting what it means to be “born from above!”

“Heavenly Father, draw me closer to you so that your life will grow and flourish in me.”

Acts 4:32-37
Psalm 93:1-2, 5
John 3:7-15